Exhibition

Avril A: Housewife Superstar

By day, Avril Eventhal was a Jewish housewife in the North Manchester suburbs; by night she was the fabulous Avril ‘A’, an eccentric and outrageous performer who grew to be a legend in Manchester’s gay scene in the '80s and '90s. She was known for her shambolic cabaret act in and around Canal Street and a string of records, including ‘Paris is For Lovers’. Avril was my aunt, and when she died in December 2017 I discovered that she had kept hold of pretty much everything to do with her decades-long career – studio master tapes, gig flyers, press coverage, publicity photos, music videos, costumes, instruments and boxes of typed correspondence with managers, record studios, fans. Since then I've been organising this archive and getting the word out through events and now a record launch, bringing together the highlights of Avril’s musical output. The album is out in September 2025: memorydance.bandcamp.com/album/housewife-superstar. The material in Avril’s archive is an important record of Manchester’s gay scene in the days before Queer as Folk arrived on Canal Street. It documents beloved venues like Hero's and Archies which have long since disappeared and celebrates the unlikely social bonds forged through queer community. You can see more, including videos of her performances, on my website: www.joannerosenthal.com/avril. I would love to hear from anyone who knew Avril, either personally or those who saw her perform back in the day. Please get in touch! joannecurator@gmail.com